MUSICMARAUDERS

Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) Audio By Dan Russ Twiddle is rapidly making it okay to say words like "jamband" and "noodling improv" again. They are part of a new generation of jam that has taken note of everything that has come before created an extraordinary musical synthesis. Twiddle hails from Vermont the land that Phish made famous. Since their performance at Arise Music Festival, they have been making regular tour stops across Colorado and have been quickly gaining fans here. This tour marked a four show run through the state that began in Fort Collins and ended at the Belly Up in Aspen. They invited Boulder phenom Jaden Carlson and her band to open up the night. Jaden has been wowing audiences all over Colorado for a number of years. I’m not overstating when I say her style is reminiscent of Jeff Beck meeting Jimmy Page. Perhaps more startling, she is barely past her preteens. Set One...

9:30 Club Washington D.C. Photos By Will Rawls ( The Lot Scene ) View Will's Full Photo Album Here! www.yondermountain.com www.larrykeel.com

Bluebird Theater Denver, CO Words & Photos By Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) As a fan of jam-bands with an ear to the ground, I'd been hearing about Vermont-based rising stars, Twiddle, for a couple of years. I had seen them in Fort Collins a couple of years ago as they opened for The Heavy Pets. We arrived late, but I remember thinking they had a really busy sound. Since that night, I've heard them pop up again and again. I recently saw a video of them covering Phish's "Harry Hood" on the Relix rooftop. It piqued my interests again, and when I had the opportunity to attend the sold out show at Denver's Bluebird Theater, I went for it. Nursing a hangover from a Friday night of boozing, my motivation was lacking. When the time came, I rallied and made my way to the east side of Colfax. Vowing a night of sobriety, I intended to leave at the set-break. When Twiddle finally hit the stage, they brought the packed house to a frenzy and I knew I w...

The 1up - Colfax Denver, CO Words & Photos By Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) Friday was unusual for me. My lady was out of state and I decided to go hit the town. After a mostly liquid dinner at World of Beer, I was off to The 1up - Colfax. I had never seen Chris Padolfi's solo project, but expected a bluegrass show. I was more than a little surprised by what I heard. For some reason or another, Trad Plus gave up their headlining slot and gave Genetics the main slot. When Pandolfi and his drummer took the stage, I was really surprised by the sound. Funky, electronic, loop-based jams were punctuated by live drumming, creating a sound that fell somewhere between Break Science and Bela Fleck. Much like Master Fleck, Pandolfi has taken the banjo off the front porch and into the laboratory. The rich, thick output sounded much fuller than a two piece band would have you expect. During one jam Chris teased Phish's "Sand," bending it to his style and riffi...

Avogadro’s Number Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock (Fat Guerilla Productions) I first saw MilkDrive at WinterWonderGrass last year. Over the course of the weekend they played several sets taking ownership of one of the tents in a memorable way. Hailing from Austin, Texas the four-piece group consists of Brian Beken on fiddle, Dennis Ludiker on mandolin, Noah Jefferies on guitar and Jesse Dalton on double bass. However, due to the impeding birth of his daughter, Noah Jeffries flew back home, leaving MilkDrive as a three piece. Again, my search for good music took me to Avogadro’s Number. They have had a number a great shows recently and their Dead Jam continues to draw a large audience. On this night it was mostly a sit down crowd, but an empty seat was hard to find. The evening began with the newly formed Porcelain City. Originally known as the Snake Oil Trio, they have undergone some lineup changes and added a few members making them a trio no longer....

Hodi’s Half Note Fort Collins, CO Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) This year Halloween was jam packed with pivotal events across the country. Many music fans opted to head to Las Vegas for three nights of Phish with a wide array of supporting shows including moe.’s Big Lebowski set, Greensky Bluegrass, and more. Here in Colorado Widespread Panic announced three nights at the First Bank Center. Despite the nearness of WSP, I chose to stay local with Euforquestra’s Big Band performance at Hodi’s Half Note. Euforquestra is known for including guests, but this time around they went all out. In addition to their regular five (Ryan Jeter has been on indefinite hiatus), they invited Kim Dawson, Matt Grundstad, Jeff Porter, Danny Sears, Jon Stewart and Dan Schwindt to join in the fun. Jon Gray even sat in on trumpet for a few songs. The night started early at 9PM sharp with the Hodi’s Funk House Band that included local drum star, Eric Imbrosciano. T...

The State Theatre Ithaca, NY Photos By Jon Irvin View Jon's full photo album here! www.stringcheeseincident.com

Neptune Theatre Seattle, WA Photos By Scott Shrader ( J. Scott Shrader Photography ) View Scott's full photo album here! www.greenskybluegrass.com www.deadwintercarpenters.com

Neumo's Seattle, WA Photos By Scott Shrader ( J. Scott Shrader Photography ) View Scott's Full Album Here www.blonde-redhead.com

Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) The Motet is Colorado’s house band, plain and simple. They continue to be an innovating force in the world of funk and Afrobeat in Colorado. They are famous for their Halloween runs, which in previous years have focused on the catalog of a single band. This year The Motet chose the rather broad theme of ‘Mixtape 1975.’ Like most fans anticipating the show, I looked up the top hits of 1975. Songs like David Bowie’s “Fame” and the Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together” floated to the top. One of those seemed like a distinct possibility. When show time came The Motet would surprise us all like they manage to do every year. Arriving early there was already a decent turnout. The show would nearly sell out. AGGIE RAGE CAGE UPDATE: The bar has moved the fencing down a level extending the area where drinking is allowed to the top two levels. The floor is now essentially...

Nectar Lounge Seattle, WA Photos By Scott Shrader ( J. Scott Shrader Photography ) View Scott's Full Photo Gallery Here www.henhouseprowlers.com

The Lincoln Theater Washington D.C. Photos By Will Rawls ( The Lot Scene ) View Will's Full Gallery Here www.stringcheeseincident.com

Avogadro’s Number Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions) One of Chicago’s premiere bluegrass exports the Henhouse Prowlers made their way through Fort Collins with a stop at Avogadro’s Number. Avo's hosted HHP as their headliner for the 2nd Annual Avograss Bluegrass Festival at the end of July. This was their first time back and they choose Colorado Slopgrass experts Hog MaGundy to support. Avogadro’s Number continues to fly under the radar at times, but that was not the case at this particular show. I arrived to see the tables pushed back with plenty of dancing room laid out. The format was a four set sandwich with Henhouse playing two in the middle. Hog MaGundy is still a relatively new group having formed just two short years ago. However, their live performances exhibit a deeper musical connection that puts this band far beyond their years. Devon ‘Tree’ Lindsay played a miniature cantina drum set that flanked the res...

The Lincoln Theater Washington D.C. Photos By Will Rawls ( The Lot Scene ) View Will's Full Photo Gallery Here www.stringcheeseincident.com

Avogadro’s Number Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions) The cavalcade of enjoyment that is The Caravan Of Thieves rolled into Fort Collins. The Bohemian Gypsy Jazz experience is one that will not soon be forgotten. Caravan Of Thieves is a Connecticut group that centers on Fuzz Sangiovanni (founding member of Deep Banana Blackout) and his wife Carrie. Their harmonization is the star of the show. Bassist Brian Anderson and violinist Ben Dean round out the band. The show was at the sometimes-overlooked Avogadro’s Number. This venue consistently delivers vivacious shows with strong nationally touring acts. Furthermore Avo’s is an oasis for local musicians who have a multitude of opportunities to play there including open mics and the now renowned Dead Jam. On this particular night the tables that span the room were all full, but it would take coaxing from the band to get anyone to dance vertically. Arriving a bit after 9PM I was g...

Pepsi Center Denver, CO Words By Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) Photo By Abby Radbill Few bands have the wherewithal to withstand the test of time like Pearl Jam. From the ashes of Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam rose like a flannel-laden Phoenix to the ultimate heights of the Seattle scene. They’ve outlived many of their contemporaries most notably Nirvana and Alice in Chains. Beyond Grudge they continue to push themselves musically, however the age of Doc Martens and ironically long hair has passed. Or has it just come full circle? Since Pearl Jam released their tenth studio album Lightning Bolt in October of 2013, they have been touring worldwide. Denver marked the final stop as well as the 24th anniversary of Mookie Blaylock’s very first live performance in Seattle. So needless to say there was much to celebrate on this particular night at the Pepsi Can. My lurking fandom combined with Pearl Jam’s lack of recent shows on the Front Range meant this was my first t...